A plan to build a new Montana Historical Society facility across the street from and north of the existing structure drew decidedly mixed reviews Wednesday night from the public and some members of the Capitol Complex Advisory Council.

Several people and two legislators said that they would prefer seeing the state buy the land where the Capital Hill Mall is located and erect a new museum there instead of what the state proposed.

The public also testified about proposed 10- and 20-year master plans for the Capitol Complex. A number of people expressed concern that parking around the Capitol already is a problem and that the plans don't adequately address it for years.

Some homeowners living on Broadway, south of the Capitol complex, objected strongly to a proposal in the 10-year plan to convert their homes into a parking garage.

"We don't want our home demolished in place of a parking garage," said one of them, Leonard Lantz. "Is there no other area to put a parking garage?"

Few people out-and-out endorsed the plan, prepared by the state architect's office and architects and consultants. About 50 people attended the meeting.

The council, headed by Administration Director Janet Kelly, will make a recommendation later this fall to the Department of Administration, which has the final say.

A major part of the plan called for spending $35.6 million on a new Historical Society building, some underground parking and renovations to the existing structure, which would be retained and remodeled for the Historical Society's archives, library and staff office. An underground tunnel would connect the two Historical Society buildings, which would be renamed the Montana Heritage Center.

The Legislature two years ago provided $7.5 million in state bonding authority for the new building. The remaining $27.9 million would have to be raised privately.

Lee Holmes, who has operated Helena's Tourist Train from the Historical Society building for 29 years, was the lone enthusiastic supporter of the plan, saying, "I think the plan is wonderful. Move forward."

Norma Jean Kelly of Helena urged the council to slow down, dream bigger than the proposal offered and take another look at the Capital Hill Mall, four blocks to the north as a site.

"The proximity of a museum to the Capitol is advantageous, but it doesn't have to be across the street," she said. The eight-minute walk from the Capital to the mall "is nothing for us tough Montanans," she said.

Mike Mergenthaler, representing the Helena Chamber of Commerce, also urged another look at the mall.

Parking already is terrible around the Capitol, with state employees often forced to park blocks away. Putting a new museum on the Capitol complex would "only make it worse," he said.

Former Public Service Commissioner Nancy McCaffree called the proposal "somewhat flawed" and questioned whether there would be adequate parking for RVs, buses and cars that a new museum might attract.

Two legislators on the council, Sens. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, and Carol Juneau, D-Browning, said when they voted for $37.5 million bonding and appropriation authority in 2005, they thought it authorized the Historical Society to proceed with negotiations for Capital Hill Mall property.

Although the Historical Society plan and the master plan don't require legislative approval, the Legislature controls the money.

"My feeling is you'd be wise to bring this entire proposal back to the 2009 Legislature," Lewis said.

Juneau said she thought she had backed a museum at the mall site.

"I thought it was a wonderful idea," she said. "People when they come into town would see a great, wonderful museum."

State officials and consultants said the proposal to build the new Historical Society facility across the street would be up to $25 million cheaper than to buy the land the mall is on, raze it and build a new facility. The land alone at the mall is appraised at $10 million or $11 million, they said, while the state owns the land where the museum would be built.

Another council member, Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, expressed concerns over making existing parking problems even worse if the Historical Society proposal is built as proposed.

Officials said it would actually result in a net 59 new parking spots, a claim that had some members of the audience rolling their eyes skeptically,

"I assume part of the reason for a new building was to attract more visitors," Caferro said. "Fifty-nine parking spaces doesn't seem like enough to take care of that."